Boys 2 Men Father/Son conference set for Saturday at Cedar Street

6/16/2017, 12:56 p.m.

A former Seattle Seahawks fullback, a comedian and a gospel rapper are among the speakers scheduled for a conference designed to address some of the challenges facing African-American boys and men and to provide tools for maturely navigating those challenges.

The Boys 2 Men Father/Son Conference, set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Cedar Street Memorial Baptist Church, 2301 Cedar St., is for boys ages 9 and older and their fathers or father figures.

The program will include a general workshop and breakout sessions covering topics such as father and son communication, depression and re-entry to society following incarceration.

Varina High School alumnus Michael Robinson, who retired from the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, will be the keynote speaker. Comedian Micah Bam-Bamm White will speak about success, and Elder Buck, a former drug dealer turned gospel rapper, will perform.

The event is sponsored by Kollege and Kareer 4 Youth, a nonprofit organization that works with high school students on college entrance and life skills training. Joining KaKy in sponsoring the event is Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Beta Gamma Lambda chapter.

Marcy Williams, CEO of KaKY, said she recognized the need for the conference as her organization has grown. She said the group has helped more than 3,500 students during the past decade.

“We’ve worked with churches, school systems and the Scouts. In working with the Department of Juvenile Justice, I saw this need,” she said.

Ms. Williams said the focus of the conference, the first of its kind for the organization, is to tap into self-esteem issues African-American men and boys face and help them build skills to navigate and resolve those issues in a healthy way.

Registration is $30 per adult with one child free. Additional children are $10 each.

To register, visit www.eventbrite.com and use the search feature to look up “Boys 2 Men Conference Richmond.”